Class D audio power amplifiers (APAs) have been used for many years in systems, such as wireline telephony, where high bandwidth is not critical. More recently however, new fabrication techniques, and in particular, new techniques for fabricating power transistors, have made integrated Class D APAs possible. This result has extended their potential applications to lower-power, higher-bandwidth systems, including battery-powered portable music players and wireless communications devices.
One major advantage of Class D amplifiers is their efficiency. Generally, an input signal is converted into a relatively high frequency stream of pulses varying in width with the amplitude of the input signal. This pulse width modulated (PWM) signal switches a set of power output transistors driving an output load between cutoff and saturation, which results in efficiencies above ninety percent (90%). In contrast, the typical Class AB push-pull amplifier, using output transistors in which their conduction varies linearly during each half-cycle, has an efficiency of only around sixty percent (60%). The increased efficiency of Class D amplifiers in turn reduces power consumption and consequently lowers heat dissipation and improves battery life.
Similarly, switched mode power supplies have found wide acceptance in the design of compact electronic appliances. Switched mode power supplies advantageously use smaller transformers and are therefore typically more compact and of lighter weight. These features are in addition to the increased efficiency realized over linear power supplies. Moreover, the total number of components can be reduced to, for example, a power MOSFET die and a PWM controller die packaged together in a single package.
One of the disadvantages of using conventional switched mode devices is the interference (radiated and conducted) generated by the switching mechanism. This problem is of particular concern in compact electronic appliances which include a radio and similar audio circuits. For example, if the switching frequency of the given switched—mode device is nominally at 350 kHz, harmonics will be generated at 700 kHz, 1050 kHz and 1400 kHz, all of which fall within the AM radio broadcast band.
Given the importance of improved battery-life, reduced heat dissipation, and component size minimization in the design and construction of portable electronic appliances, improved switched mode techniques will have numerous practical advantages. The possible applications for these techniques are numerous, although Class D APAs and switched mode power supplies are two primary areas which should be considered.